Flow control head



A g 1932 J. J. SANTIAGO FLOW CONTROL HEAD Filed Dec. 11. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fivantfor. 70/72:: 2 50/7/20 0 12 or/rey U h L 3 .w w 7 w. i m ##fi x--- A m/w. W fl a A s- 1932 I J. J. SANTIAGO 1,870,599

FLOW CONTROL HEAD Filed Dec. 11. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In van fqr Jami laow/wya.

tamina-1m 1310590 UNITED STATES-PATENT? OFFICE? 31138 I. SANTIAGO, O1 108 GILES, CALIF RNIA, 5.8810803 IO JOHN GRANT, OI v i LOB GI-LE8, GALIFOBJIIA y now con'rnon m Application December 11, 1929. Serial Io. 418,8. a

. This invention has to do with apparatus ing to raiseits intake to a higher level, orin for controlling flow from a well, such as an any manner to adjust the tubin and s oil-well. The general objects and corre-- control the flow therethrough. isis for, spending accomplishments of the invention the reason that the joints at the top of the will be best understood from a short 'descriptubing must be broken before vertical move- -tion of the conditions with which the invenment of the strin and once the joint is tion is desi ed to cope. i broken control of t e flow is lost.

When a owing well is brought in after As the practice'isnow itis necessary, in the drillin operations have been completed order to adjust the tubing,to fill the 'well and the we l-pipe set, it is necessary to hold agaiu'with heavy mud to hold down he resw down the gas and oil pressures in order to :sure while the tubing is being raised. uch keep the well from blowing out uncontrolapplication of heavy mud to the well is very lably. If those pressures are freel released, likely to kill the well by reason of the mud the gas pressure, which is the impe 'ng force backing up into the oil sands and clogging Jitha ings the oil into the well, may befreed up the screening openings. In fact, there as quickly that gas will flow into and out of have been many instances in which good 7 the well without bringing any substantial wells have been rendered virtually. worthamount of oil with it; and when the gas presless; and in many cases the subsequent 'rosure subsides com aratively little oil will duction is cut down by amounts up' to fifty 80 thereafterbebroug tinto the well. For that per cent. The operation is therefore one 7 reason it is common to fill the well with some which oil operators hesitate to use; and often j heavy fluid such as heavy mud, so as to prothe raising or other adjustment of the tubvide a column in the well of sufiicient weight ing is ut off until the well is so silted up to hold down the ressure. that tu ing adjustment then avails nothing.

2 The tubing or ot er flow pipe may then be The object of this invention is to provide 7;

v The swab is run up quickly, and then the well would necessarily be open.

. installed in the well; and then by use of a an apparatus b which pressures and flow swab the mud column is moved up out of the may be control ed when it .is desirable or flow pipe until the column height is reduced necessar to adjust the position of the so that the pressures will move it upwardly. when, 0t erwise, the upper end of the tubing begins to flow. A ty icalv swab is simply a I will describe briefly in a typical form plunger-like member aving a leather cup or my apparatus, which involves a fitting aprubber washer in close contact with the wall. plicable to the upper end of the tubing string of the pipe being swabbed, and when this in the well, which fitting rovides for'the swab is raised with a hoist line it moves the addition or taking away 0 tubing len he, as column of mud upwardly and out of the pipe. as may be required in the operation 0 ad- It is frequently necessary to raise or otherjusting the tubing- Valvecontrols are aswise adjust the tubir iglor flow pipe after it sociated with this fitting; operable in such has been installed. e well pipe or casing 'a manner as to shut-oil t e upper end oi the is usually provided with a screen or pertubing string completely), or to allow conforated pipe through which the oil enters the trolled flow from the to ing. One of these well. A certain amount of silt is carriedin valve'controls is adapted to shut oil or open the oil and settles into the bottom of the well, the tubing-receiving bore which extends thus eventually clogging and filling the lower through the fitting; and the length of tubing portions of the wel an the screen openings. which is being put on to or taken away from When this occurs it is frequently necessary the string is held in a cap member which, to raise the tubing or flow pipe to. a point when in ition, makes a fluid tight jointabove the accumulated silt so as to keep the between t e length of tubing and the fitting flow pipe 0 en. However, with present day itself. The u per end of the tubin lengt equipment, it is impossible to elevate-the tub being capped uring the operation, t e va ve v and adapted to prevent low of fl lfl il v r a and the extra length of tubing threaded down m thejoint a. the as of the tubing I inonefi-formtoa anenlar YYE'Y the stringof tab whichI frunaw;

I II",

' and the esteem to which he torinstanee dee mp) thenatureofopstation nor the applicabilityof my invention to accomplish its stated purposes. objech and e fellowing detailed description of a illustrative embodiment of the inventiond' reference bell ed to the We ra m w e I c igure 1 elevational view showi iaembiyuof my devices appli Fig. "9 view: showing a modigi G A g V -partof-Figure 1.1 is'a horizontal cross section on line Fig. 8 ins horizontal section on line of! 8. a x I vertical detail of certainparts of ignre 2. g In thedrawings let10,designate the casor well pipe and 11 the of flow pipe or-tuhing' standifig inflthe well.. In Figures litrateftlzfieappicationcaf in appar'a'tustotuingo 'o in'ary. lai 'tjoint'ed, type, withtbe fitting-F adapted totakethat 10f tubin. Figures2 and jt sliowra on. adagted to take flush ieint' tubiuaeas will be hereinafter described 1 operation of raisingorlowerb the string will be p t d van P Lhy theslip'sE shown in the drawings.

sue a of tubing is first I installed in the well," some suitable lug or paclnn --is'.placed.about the tn at a suite le dis- -t-ance.below the top. For instance I show a packing cup 12monnted on the tubing stnx through the casing'around the packing cup will be installed on the tubing iat a distance below the top somewhat greater I than the vertical distance it is anticipated beadbing may afterwards have to amid seen tohavewhat I will call a #tubiug l5enlarged atitslowerendasat, and

manure the tubing collar 17. I The walls of 5 11mm may beprovided with circumferential packing 18 so that a fluid tight joint may be warm:

will be best understood 8 is vertical section in g a two p h g d t geth r at the supporting means,.

a v "mu I the whole fittmg' end of the tubing; dies 19 set up screws 2).

lfitherelaahoriaontall sliding .valvefll pn'atingbyascnw 4 a "wheel llon its outer end. Thiagate gular recessfliformed in the fitting' F the recess 24 an enclosed 'dingway "'v'alve may inthe tubing b'oreabove the 'per end ways in v M belowtbegate valve 21. f I

' v In order to facilitate pla ting upon a tubing, the fitting is formed in m a ion ii h he' ihg 9" and the two parts may be securely'clam the numerals 80 and 81; numb: Q I

as j

in which I to valve'2lfis housed. In order to house gate j alvez'that'half an. made in. two one of which 'is e co'verpart 82.

cu liof thetub' nter-F5:l mes-1ycannis ii f an -mglenfille;andjustabovethecollarrsceivmg re walve 21 can slide horizontally in the rectan---' put sositionshdwninFigureeSandQto,

f ensue securely to the upper by means of clamp;

11,0rthe"va lvejmay with. asco npletely te valve 26, whichvalve controlled outlet is al- 1 3 the tubing by means ofthe clainp 8 beltlshown in Figure '4.- 'The de-' f tails of need not bedescribedlmiion the fittin maybe tigbtlay.

the 7 king 18 is'likewise eifi n halvesso bltitwill o thepl eo s psn q 1.. as.

Thetwjo hinged halves ,The outline of this cover 'part is shown par- I gem, in dean-sli in down on thelower part o c h s 34 nv l'tirn d- I w It is to be no ed, mfi'tbefittingand also the p 0 h i ft t oi 4 made in halves primarily to facilitate Figure 8'. It is held ment aboutthe tubing-without having to months fitting" 'ov'erthetu end. o mh 1 iggglampjon the' cfa p,' a function {than newly jl lampinithe parts toin a position around previously described'the clamping" dies 19 tbeirletscrewsmasmean'sforsetfing the tubing, 'forfighe.

the fitting eolidly upon I shall describe and the correspond-'- escribed are placeean sg ezcap e used, s the pu "I inttwo havesjhm *fat the up frgeud oi the tubin mze'm' mi e eans in co e ti with th 1 c n" t I e t at th clampingu meens 28 n and similar clamping 4 si p y: cene t 1 around i 'of-cla nping thepartstightly enough; on the ub n -mm 1 up s mme- 1O ent i M v V iht t h lyt innate-bee adapted; t is a dotvnfioyer"thecylindric'fexternall I threaded" art tlgig cap G'isalso Ina etogether at'landheld y h r hmw wh s clanip tightly together i a hi the prev o s y note Above the threaded bore 40 cap ingbore;

packin I set ups; y set'scre'jqs 46. my either t e clamp 2- rt ets r i e ,%i6-, bo p '0, after 5 .having beenfclosed around a, length of tubing, nay chinpedtightl thereto to make ssa fluidtightjoint therewit Consequently, hen; thei te ar i ss b a h w 3,' the is securel mounted as upon-the iii fl mm and m fl i tiointiwitmt i3 proyided 'stringis se- *e eli ed nshwp an vltha flui} i I appl mhe'mp of tubing'len 11 0 can tc nri g w s. y5 yevvhich takeslthe}sore '-threaded upper end V H g, length" 11a, 'and' an outlet pipeor tube 51 whi'chis svvivell'y connected with body dfivo bythe srv ivelbearin v ,52. The outlet ipe z.-,5 iv,m yibe conto le .y e v v i5 m whicli' either a or a "flexible hose niay aIYIi-tRtsP ate-- in 1 a Suppose nowit is desired to fadjust 'jthe tubi g 0 #1,. h hlf eleyation than fat the time Firsts'the tubing is elevated so v. collar 17 f below its ,i PP Ir end. there will he one or more abovetliis collar will siticccup a as t epose e r t tem how high it'is desired and rm one m stepwise otonly for th P r "ef' tubing", but also I for the purpose giisition'on the'fittmg hreiids 35. A has an ,i

usual rotatiomca O'rotatingand th tubing is' 'completely -17. I5Threads35 and 40 i are longer than the 1 G has a tub 1 with circumferential {i4 fans also with dies 45 e' h of tub ng tubing length lifted out of the d From t yhavenow mounted-on fittin 'F, "of makin :a fiui guiding euppertubing length when it is "to be setup or unscrewed. The first function oithe -screyv-threadedjoint isto-proyide a, Q "substantiallyvzvfiuid tightbonneotion Ivvhich. lea 9511 6 11 5 vsl i rsd P h pr yisio 'to be 7 preferable .fl to i1'8 i6 the Next the: is an as W! un er-* that gatefvalve 21 iswithdrawn to the left and that the upper to open the tubingbore, tubing length-111a is somewhat-below the positionshown in .Figure'3 and-is acrey v threaded "into-the collar 17;

clam d' to tubing can en he unscrewed onrcollarifl by the upwardly.W-ith 7 e tubing 'len unscrew threads on the tubing,--sothat -1bycontinued unscrewing rotation of thestubingi and cap C the tubing lengt I ha-is carried up toa position such as that lllustrated ngFigurc 3, with when the 11a; This-having been done cap C may then i be removed fromthe tubing lengthand the fitting."

g e structures screwfthreads and C is screw-threadedly include the functions tight joint andalso of the purposes of the by whichz'the cap,

allows such length. Such a connection can, of course,- difierent kno wn ,man-

be formed in 1 many throughout-their run and thus, provide a fluid-tight joint.

that, afterlalength 11a has been unscrewed from collar 17 that length may then be moved on up to the position shown. in Figure 3, without any danger-ofmoving the length up so has to completely disconnect from fitting fore-valve 21 is :closed.

Ifitis ymga lower v than'is illus rated-in 511m 3. The pitch of threads-'35 and40' e same as the pitch of the tubing threads d 11b. Thus, when cap hasbeenapplied and lengthilla the tubing I reading 'hpntil the r m collar And, furthermore, the screw threaded connection also has the "advantage of guiding-the tubing length 11a as its threads 1 b are entered in the collar 'threadsg I T ,g desired to the-tubingthrough a Next the cap 0 is ap nee to'th'elovveriit ting new the pipe ,the'capCstill'iniscreWthreaded engagement bnthe-fittingfi Thus; positions have been Punched;

inay then I I and operation'that ri ed, it will be seen that 40 '1 'elativemovement as 13 n thetuhing nersfibut a screw-threaded connection I deem i I here because; the screwthreads can easily be madegtofit fairly tightly g 1 15 Theiuse of screwthreads atthis point also has the advantage vertical distance greater thanthe longest tub- Ling stand which can be accommodated in the 1 ple of tubingmay then be connected up with-- collar 17 in the manner and byloperations which will be described later. aving thus connected up a short tubing nipple, or even a whole'lengthof tubing, with a ca S on ,len

' connected up with collar the top, it will bevap arent how urther le of-tnbing may w .b repeating the operations heiieinbeafe v Whenever, it is" desired to add tubing iengtlisto. the of oweringlthestring or for the urpose of attaching short pieces as above in carted, or short pieces for finally ting the whole string exactly to theldesire adjustment, the o tions are'substantially the reverse of e operations before described; Fitting F havingbeen appliedto a collar 17 immediately below the up rmost end of the string,

of tubing (which may beeit erafulll horashortnip le) may be removed :s behoi-g; desbcribed lie!!!) an appropriate engt o tu ing, or a u ing stand ofappropriate length, may be 1 which is clamped in fitting F. In this operation cap C wi be ap lied to the len h or stand near its lower en and that ca then will be screwed down on the fitting The length or stand being the uppermost len capped with a cap S, gate valve 21 may be open "and the lower end of the len h or and is thus screwed into collar 17-. Vhen isvdone the fitting and cap may be removed from the tubing and the tuliin lowered to point. If exactly t e desired tubing position is'not reached in one such operation of removing or adding len hs of tubing, the operation may be repeate as man times. as issnecessarv, with different i until exactly the desired position is In Figures 2 and 6.1 show a slight modification in my apparatus adapted to take flush lush joint tubing, such as injoint tu'bing.'

be initially installed in dicated at 11c, may the upper parts of t rts of which maybe 0 ordinary collarointed tubing. By thus using flush joint tubing, a fluid tight joint may be made and maint between the tubing and casi by I utilizing a stufiiug box fitting B; and this fitting may have an outlet 60 which may be valve controlled at 61. The only difi'erence in fitting F, to accommodate flush joint tubing, is this: that the tubing bore 15 of fitting F runs throughout the fitting at uniform size instead of being enlarged as at 16in Figure 3. Otherwise the structure and o eration of fitting F, and of its cap 0' and al of the other parts,

maly be the same as hereinbefore described.

- have described a typical and illustrative embodiment of the invention in order that those slrilled inthe art may understand the invention itselfby way of a complete and defollowing lifted out of thebod string either' for the'purposebore, abipartite ca ting in a'manner to form a fluid tig therewith and to allow screwingand unscreweasily plied to and e tubin string, the lower comprising a fitting havin tailedunderstan of one illustrative form. The invention itsel is not to such details as-have been described, and they may be readily varied and modified, but ratherthe invention isoply as is set forth in the -1, Flow control apparatus for wells em in combination with a flow pipe'in tedtobea'p a bipartite fittin adap rthe'we Shed to and around the w p pe at a eint stain, and ada ted to makes fluid juncture with a owpipeibelowsuch'joint, fittinghaving a vertical pipe-receiving bore and a valve be a plied to and aroun the'flow i above the tting, said cap member p P the fitjoint ing ofthe pipe joint, and means for clamping said cap to the .pipe so that the cap rotates with the pipe as the latter is turned.

2. Flow control apparatus for wells enim bodyiigfi, in combination with a flow ipe the w a fittin adapted to bek'a ed to" and around the ow pipe at a therein,

and adapted to make a fluid-tight juncture" I joint, said fitting with a flow pi below such having a vertical pipe receiving bore and a valve movable transversely across said a cap member adapted to beapplied to around the flow pipe above the fitting, said cap memberhavi a screw-threaded en of the same itch as the screw-threaded pipe 'oint, there joint, and means to cap the uppermost the pipe. bog. flow control apparatus for wells eih-' y i the well, a bipartite fittin adapted to helparound the owpipeat a int therein, and ads ted to I juncture with a ow pipe belowsuch' said fitting having a vertical pipe receiving bore and a valve movable transversely across said bore, a bipartite ca be a plied to and aroun I the tting, said cap member having a sere'vn threaded en gement withthe fitting, which screw-three is of the same screw-threaded pipe joint, an more threads on the joint between fitting than on the pipe joint.- g '4. fiow control device adaptedte heapplied to a screw-threadedly jointed flow pipe,

7 a vertical longitudinal bore through its apted'to receive there" movable transversely scion member adaptedto 'ment with the fitting, which screw-thre is I t th ing threads on tlie oint ween ,ecapan ng' anont e l I l D I Vi" in combination with a flow pipe in i member adaptedto the flowpipe above, lie

itch; u "the pipe, clamping means adapted to said' a .r g

pipe in the fitting, a transverselyopelatrn valve in said fittin above the'poi'iitfot-e'ngagement of said c am ingmeans {with the pipe, said valve being a apted-tobeextehded, pass s across the bore of the fitting, a"

I to be extended across the bore, a cap a to fit upon and around the pipe above the fitting, means for clamping said cap to the pipe, said cap being rotatab e relative to said fitting and having a movable fluid-tight engagement with the fitting. I

5. A flow control device adapted to be applied to a screw-threadedly jointedfiow pipe, comprising a fitting having a vertical longitudinal bore through it adapted to receive a ipe, a clamping means adapted to clamp said pipe in the fitting, ing valve in the medialpart of the fitting adapted to be extended across the bore,"a cap adapted to fit upon and around the pipe above the fitting, said cap having a movable fluid-tight engagement with the fittin means for clamping said cap to the pipe, bot said fitting and cap being bipartite for placement about the pipe.

6. A flow control device adapted to-be applied to a screw-threadedly'jointed flow pipe, comprising a tudinal bore through it adapted to receive a pipe, clamping means adapted to clamp said pipe in the fitting, a transversely operating valve in the medial part of the fitting adapted to be extended across the bore, a cap adapted to fit upon and around the pi e above the fitting, said cap having a screw-t readed engagement with the fitting and there being more threads'on the joint between the cap and fitting than on the pipe joint,

7. A flow control device adapted to be applied to a screw-threadedly jointed fiow pipe, comprising a fitting having a vertical longitudinal bore through it adapted to receive a pipe, clamping means adapted to clamp said pipe in the fitting, a transversely opera-tin valve in the medial part of the fitting adapte to fit upon and around the pipe above the fitting, said cap having a screw-threaded engagement with the-fitting and there being more threads on the joint between the cap and fitting than on the pipe joint, both said fitting and cap being bipartite for lacement about the pipe, and an outlet lea ing from the bore of said fitting below the valve.

8. A fiow control device adapted to be applied to the flow pipe, comprisin including two separable parts an clamp the parts together, a longitudinal pipe receiving bore half in one movable valve adapted to be extended across a medial part of the bore, and a pipe engagmeans to ing cap comprising two parts and meansfor clampifig them together, said cap also having a pipe receiving bore and having movable fluid-tight engagement with the fitting, means for clamping said cap to the pipe so that the cap rotates with the pipe as the latter is turned, and an outlet leading from the bore of said fitting below the valve.

9. A flow control device adapted to beepa transversely operatfitting having a vertical long1- dapted a fitting the fitting having part and half in the other, a transversely plied. to a pipe, comprising a fitting with a longitudinal pipe-receiving bore, said fitting composed of two parts meeting on a longitudinal plane diametrical of the bore, means- .ceiving bore and being longitudmally movable relative to said fitting, means for clamping said cap to the pipe so that the ca I rotates with thepipe as the latter is turne p and an outlet leading from the bore of Sand fitting below the valve.-

. 10. A flow controldevice adapted to be ap-' plied to a pipe, comprising a tting with alongitudinal pipe-receiving bore, said fitting composed of two parts meeting on a lOIlglH tudina l plane diametrical of the bore, means for -clampin'gthe two parts of the gether, a valve in the fitting'adapted to be extended acrossa medial part of t cap movably'mounted at one end of the bore, said cap havinga. pipe receiving bore and'being composed of two parts separableona longitudinal plane "dia metrical of its bore, means for clamping the two parts of the cap together, means clamping said cap to the pipe so that the ca rotates with the pipe as the latter is turne andan outlet leading from the bore of said fittingbelow the valve. p 11. A flow control device a'da ted to plied to a pipe, comprising a itting with a longitudinal pipe-receiving bore, said fitting composed of two parts meeting on a longitudinal plane 'diametrical of'the bore, means for clamping the gether, a valve. in the fitting adapted to be extended-across a medial part of the'bore, i ca screw-threadedly mounted on one end of the fitting at one end of the bore, there being more threads on the joint between the cap and fitting than on the ipe joint said cap having a pipe receiving ore and ing composed tudinal plane diametrical of its bore, means for clamping the two parts of the cap together, and an outlet leading fromthe bore of said fitting below the valve.

12. A flow control device ada ted to applied to a pipe, comprising a. tting' having a vertical longitudinal pipe receiving bore therethrough, fluid-tight packing means in the fitting at the lower part of its bore, the

for

fitting toebore,a"

on one end of the fitting two parts of the fitting toof two parts separable on a longi- A fitting being composed of two separable.

a cylindric externally threaded extension on and containing the fitting concentric with the upper part of the pipe receiving bore, a cap having an internal thread adapted to I I fit n on said screw-threaded extension of the tting, there being more threads onthe 5 joint between the ca and fitting than on the ipe joint, said cap aving a plpe-receivin re coaxial with the ipe receiving bore 0 the fitting, means in t e capfor formin a fluid tight joint in the ipe, and an' on at D leadin from the bore 0 said fitting below the v ve. p v

18. A- flow control device adapted to be ap-' plied to a ipe, comprising a tting having a vertical ongitudinal pipe receiving bore 15 therethrough, fluid tight packing means in the fitting m the lower of this bore, the fitting being compose of two separable halves meeting on a vertical plane diametrical .of thebore, means for clampingthe two halves together, a transversely movable valve member mounted in one of said halves and movable to and from a ition extending across said bore above the aid-tight packing, a cylindric externall threaded extension on 25 the fitting. concentric with and containing theupper part of the pipe receiving bore, a cap having alongitudmal vertical pipe receiving bore and having in its lower part an internally threadedbore concentric with its'pipe recelvin bore and adapted to engage the externally t readed'extenslon of the fit ting, there being more threads on the joint between the cap and fitting than on the pipe joint, said cap composed of two separable 35 parts meeting on a vertical plane diametric'al of its ipe-receiving here, means forforming a flui -tight joint between a ipe and the cap, and means for clampin the two halves v of the cap together about e pipe. Inwitness that Iclaim the foregoin Ihave hereunto subscribed my name this 26t day of November, 1929.

- JAMES J. SANTIAGO. 

